Don't fear control you!

“I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, “This is his wife.” Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.”  

Genesis 12:11b-13

            

              Fear can cause us to do some dumb things. Think of all the things that you have done because of fear. I remember in elementary school being terribly afraid of somebody, and they told me to run up a metal slide. So, I ran up that slide. Seven stitches later, I came home. Here in this passage of scripture, we see where Abram did something dumb, because he was afraid of the Egyptians. First of all we see in verses 10-13 that he didn't trust God. This always confuses me. God had just spoke to him, and made a covenant with Abram. Now Abram is going to Egypt because of a famine. God promised that He would protect Abram and his family. Fear made Abram say to his wife, “Say you are sister, so that I will live.”

           

              Fear causes us to do dumb things. Abram and his family get into Egypt and do exactly what Abram petitioned his wife to do. When they were in Egypt, Pharaoh gave many gifts to Abram because of his wife. But after a while God sent a terrible plague on Pharaoh’s household. When Pharaoh found out who Abram’s wife was, he rebuked Abram. Then Pharaoh sent them away with an armed escort.

           

              Fear caused Abram to doubt the protection of God. Does fear cause you to doubt not only the protection of God, but maybe even God in general? We have to learn from Abram’s mistake here. Don’t let fear control you. Let God guide you.

Bro. Michael